Franke Foodservice Systems, a global provider of kitchen equipment and supplies solutions based in Smyrna, Tennessee, announced its plans for key leadership changes that will become effective on January 1, 2019.
Thomas Campion will be appointed to Executive Chairman of Franke Foodservice Systems. In his new role, Campion will advise the division on strategic planning and further development. A veteran of the quick-service restaurant industry, Campion served as CEO of Franke Foodservice Systems for the past five of his 32 years with the Group.
Christian Mathesius will succeed Campion as CEO of Franke Foodservice Systems, which aids major restaurant chains in their international growth and operating plans. Simultaneously, he will become a member of the Management Board of Franke Group. In this new function, he will report directly to Patrik Wohlhauser, CEO Franke Group. Since 2013, Mathesius has served as President of the Europe-Middle East-Africa (EMEA) unit. Previously, Mathesius served eight years at Hilti AG as head of one of the construction tool giant’s mainstay product segments, and in prior roles with Boston Consulting Group and Siemens AG.
Stefan Kuny will succeed Mathesius as President of Foodservice Systems’ EMEA business, which is based in Bad Saeckingen, Germany. In his 15 years with Franke, Kuny has served in various management roles including VP-Operations and Chief Information Officer for the EMEA unit.
“This plan will work to secure the continued growth of our foodservice business, which is a major pillar in the success of Franke as a whole,” says Wohlhauser. “We appreciate Tom Campion’s many years of leadership, and we will benefit from his insights across a broader scope of activity. Meanwhile, we have full confidence in Christian Mathesius’ and Stefan Kuny’s abilities in their future roles to meet our customer’s needs in the constantly evolving foodservice industry. It’s a tribute to the strength of our team that during succession planning we can advance key players into senior leadership roles.”
Franke Foodservice Systems is a leading provider of comprehensive systems and services for the global foodservice industry. It employs more than 1,700 associates worldwide, and manufactures and distributes a wide variety of equipment and supplies from a number of facilities in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Its sister divisions within the Franke Group produce diverse items such as automated commercial coffee machines and washroom fixtures. Franke is also a global leader in consumer kitchen fixtures such as sinks, faucets and hoods, and is the world’s largest producer of stainless steel sinks.
